Improvement in the manufacture of iron



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1) win WI HENDRICKSON, or NEW YORK, N. Y

Letters Peeene'Ne. 71,754, dated December a, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known'that I, DAVID W. Hsnnnrcnson, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented a new andusefulImprovement in the Smelting orManufacturing of Iron, suitable for converting or makinginto steel bythe Bessemer process, direct from the furnace; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which are lettered tocorrespond withand form a part of the specification. 1

In order that the public may fully understand the nature of myinvention, andthose skilled in the manufacture of iron be enabled to usethe same, I will describe it as follows, to wit: i v

My improvement consists in placing zinc or manganese, or both, in, thenatural metallic'state, or as an oxide, or as in the Franklinite ores ofNew Jersey/United States, or as combined inany zinc or zinciferousoxides or ores, in the furnace, to be used with magnetic, brown, or redhematites, bog or specular iron ores,with any suitable flux, and withanthracite or bituminous coal, brown "lignite, peat, or charcoal, as afuel, in combi nation with a compound blast of superheated steam and hotor cold air, to be commingled in the tuyere-chambor or chambers, anddischarged through the same tuyere or tuycres into the bottom of theore-chamber of the furnace.

Mode of Operation. 7

, In supplying or charging the furnace, Figure 1, letter ,A, I firstplacethe zinc or manganese, or both, or Franklinite ores, over the fuel,B, and immediately under the iron ore C, and then charge the furnace inthe ,usual manner with fuel, B, flux and Franklinite D, iron ore C, andso continue the charges in rotation, using from ten (10) to thirty (30)per cent. of Franklinite or zincifcr-ous ores for a mixture or flux, asthe quality of the iron or oresto be smeltedmay demand. When the furnaceis fully heated, I then admit the compound blast of superheated steamand air, hot or cold, through the tuyere or tuyeres F, into the saidfurnace, whereby the iron is made to part with its deleterious gases,which, by the presence of the zinc in a volatile oxide state, arecarried ofi" through the top of the furnace to the openair, with theheat and carbonic acid gas.

"The usual forms of furnaces may be used with a fair prospect ofsuccess; but I prefer my own improve ments in furnaces, as allowed onthe 28th day of May, 1867, as the compound blast, and the commingling ofthe lighter gases in the same tuyeres, as set forth in my arrangcment oftuyeres, particularly constructed for the compound blast. i

In smelting, I particularly desire to use the Franklinitc ores of NewJersey, United States, as found at Sterling and Hamburg, and those ofAltenberg, near Aix-la-Chapelle, in Europe, which ores contain fromfifteen to twenty per cent. of oxide of zinc, ten (10) to twenty (20)per cent. of manganese, forty to fifty per cent; of iron, and ten (10)to twenty (20)per cent. of pure lime. I consider this particular ore themost suitable and powerful agent, either as a flux or a mixture, forimproving, purifying, and carrying 0d and sepa= rating all iron oresfrom sulphur and phosphoric acid, when used in combination withthecompound blast of superheated steam and air, either the blast orcanola-furnace, when preparing the iron who used for making steel by theBessemer process, or other purposes.

When the Franklinite ore is-uscd I'would avoid using the commonlimestone for flux, as there is sufiicient lime in the spar, combinedwith the ore, to create enough slag in the furnace to make the saidfurnace worli smoothly and welhand cause a saving of fuel; besides, mostof the common limestone in ordinary use contains a percentage ofphosphoric acid, which is one of the most injurious acids to be found iniron for making Besse mer steel, or where great strength is required.The combination of the Eranklinite and the compound blast ofsuperheated'steam and air,-will make a stronger, tougher, and generallya better iron, with. twice the. tensile strength, for allmerchantable'purposes, of any iron now known to commerce.

The zinc, in its volatile state, will purify the ores and metallic iron.The maganese is an essential ingredient in the manufacture of goodsteel, and-I believe the compound blast of superheated steam and airwill create and keep up a more powerful and intense heatthan any otheragent now in practical use, forming, as it were, a compound oxyhydrogepblow-pipe, causing the ores to melt more rapidly, preventingthemineralizing of the sulphur and phosphoric acid with the molten iron,also creating a saving of fifty (50) per cent. of fuel for sa as an... A

one ton of anthracite coal, or one and one-quartei- (l-k) ton ofprepared peat, with Franklinite as a flux, will make one ton ofpig-iron, and by the same blast and flux in the cupola-furnaee, onehundred (100) pounds of anthracite coalwill melt one ton of scrap orpig-iron.

I am aware that zinc and Franklinite ores have been used for purifyingiron and iron ores, and that manganese has been used in the preparationof iron for steel purposes, and that steam and water have been usedincombination with the same; but I am not aware that a compound blast ofsuperheated steam and air hasbeen used in combination with the aboveores and iron ores suitable for and adapted to the Bessemer process ofmaking steel.

Claim.

Therefore, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent-of the United States of America, isj I The use of zinc orzinciferous ores, manganese, or the Franklinite ores, as a. flux or amixture in ironfurnaces, in combination with the compound blast ofsuperheated steam and air for manufacturing iron suitable for theBessemer process of and for manufacturing steel and other purposes,substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth, andshown in the accompanying drawings.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, in presence of threewitnesses.

I D. W. HENDRICKSON. Witnesses: I

SARAH E. Hanoaiexson,

J. P. MCLEAN,

W Wnronr.

